Did someone say PIE? This combo is such a kiwi classic, and for good reason in my books!
I made my recipe for dinner tonight and it was so good, we all licked our plates clean. The mince is delicious, the pastry is light, the cheese is all melty... the combination is perfection!
I have fond memories of eating what probably wasn't the greatest pies (I'm being polite - you guys know what they were commonly referred to - maggot sacks!) in petrol stations around 12.30am on Friday nights, and I can see this one being a real winter warmer since I'm unlikely to be anywhere other than home pretty much every night these days.
I've been wanting to make this pie a few weeks now especially after having an amazing one at a stop called 'The Keto Shack' discovered in Maramarua over the Easter Weekend, now sadly closed. It was truly delicious! I actually think this one may be a little better, but then again I am a touch biased ;) There is no greater way of declaring how much we enjoyed it than being able to share the recipe with you all. I hope you love it as much as we did, and know that my keto friendly recipe ebook is very much on the way so do watch this space. Please do let me know what you think!
PIE FILLING
1T ghee or lard
500g beef mince
1 large brown onion, finely chopped
2T tomato paste
0.5 cup hot water or chicken/beef broth
1T xanthan gum (I use this one)
1T gelatin (I use this one)
2t balsamic vinegar or Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper
3 handfuls of grated cheddar or other cheese of choice.
Heat fat of choice in a solid fry pan (I use cast iron) on a moderate heat before adding your chopped onion. Saute gently for 10-15 minutes. The onions should have a little colour but also be translucent and quite soft.
Turn the heat up, brown the mince for a minute or two and then turn it back down to a gentle heat. Add the tomato paste and balsamic vinegar and stir for a few minutes before adding the water/broth.
Allow to reduce a little - 20 minutes is good - before adding the salt and pepper (seasoning to taste), gelatin and xanthan gum and allow to thicken. If you don't have xanthan, just reduce the sauce further to make more of a gravy consistency.
Turn the heat off and leave it to cool while you make the pastry.
FATHEAD PIE PASTRY
1.5 cups grated mozzarella
0.75 cup almond meal
2T cream cheese
1 egg
pinch of salt
I don't have a microwave so I can't microwave the mozzarella and cream cheese together (apparently a few short 30 second bursts will do) so instead I gently melt it on a non stick fry pan or in the oven, stirring constantly so the cheese doesn't 'catch'.
Transfer the mix to a bowl, and stir in almond flour, salt and egg. I use a silicone spatula.
Divide into two halves.
Place one half in-between two sheets of baking paper and use a rolling pin to roll out.
Carefully lay your first pastry sheet at the bottom of your tray (I used baking paper to line a brownie tray) making sure to have some 'sides'. Place in oven at 180 degrees celsius for 5 minutes while you roll out the second half.
Take out the pan from the oven, and layer mince mixture and grated cheese on top.
Cover the filling with the top pastry layer. I often run my hands under the hot water tap so I can more easily manipulate the pastry to fill any holes and stretch it in certain places.
Bake for 15 minutes at 180 degrees.
Makes 6 portions which fed us three (2 adults, 1 child) for dinner without anything else so I highly suggest making a double portion!
It took around 25 minutes to make, not including the final baking time of 15 minutes.
You can also make in a pie maker as I've done for these updated pics! It's a bit fiddlier to make but more authentic!
I can't guarantee macros as it depends on ingredients used, but this is what I worked out per portion: 7 grams net carbohydrates, 23 grams fat and 33 grams protein with 416 calories. Enjoy x